Think Outside The Piggy Bank

thrift store clothes shopping

We have an excellent thrift store here in town and every once in a while they have a fill-a-bag-with-clothes-for-$6 deal. I've taken advantage of this twice already, and boy, have I lucked out. The first time I got two pairs of jeans, a bathrobe, three long-sleeved tops and a T-shirt. Yesterday I picked up one pair of jeans, a beautiful dusty rose sweatshirt, a purple long-sleeved top that I'm wearing right now because I absolutely adore the colour, a T-shirt, and two dressy shirts. Not bad eh? Brought 'em home, popped them in the wash, and now they're officially mine.

And while I've seen others stuff their bags with even more clothes, I'm picky enough that I still try everything on, and still have to really like what I buy, because even averaging at about $1 per item, I'm frugal enough to not want to waste money on anything. A former friend of mine used to always say, "Oh, at that price I can't say no", which I disagree with because there's no point buying something only because it's cheap. Unless it's something you really need or want, you should ask yourself how much clutter you have already. My technique is to not go into the store too often, because too often too many things will demand that I become their new owner! Like the book, mug and trivet who now seem to feel right at home. Still, my total bill was $7.50, and if I say so myself, I look quite ravishing in purple. ;)

7 links to keep you busy

I promised you links to worthwhile sites a couple of posts ago, and they're up and running now. Just scroll down the left-hand column until you hit Smart Reading. Here you'll find tons of ideas covering creativity, productivity, personal development, happiness, organization, purpose, passion, growth, and ways to keep more of your dollars in your wallets. There are of course countless blogs devoted to any one (or all) of these topics, but if you're like me and easily get overwhelmed by the sheer number of sites you could potentially follow, then these select few are all you'll need to get started. Enjoy!

Dr. Seuss -- I love my job!

Have posted this poem elsewhere before, but always get a chuckle rereading it, so thought I'd share it here. And I wonder how many people actually DO love their jobs. I'm sure we've all heard the stats on how many people hate their jobs, which, considering how many hours they consume, is really sad. But what would a job worthy of loving look like anyway? Interesting and challenging but not unduly stressful, compensated fairly, and good people to work both with, and for. Hmmm, I've had some of these elements in all jobs, but not all elements in even one job. Too much to ask? Ah, one of these days I'll figure out what work would suit me best. Unless I hit retirement age first, snort.

How about you? Have you ever had paid work that you loved? Or figured out what elements you need in order to love a job? Or is loving your job a luxury these days that most people just can't afford? What do you think?

so where was I?

This is my official, but short, catch-up post. I've tweaked the design a little bit, so that I now have three columns instead of two, and have added a calendar in order to shame myself into posting more often. Okay, briefly:

1. I know, I made fun of Twitter and following, but you can follow me now if you like. Who knows, you might even be able to tweet me one day, snort. Just click the link in the right-hand column if you want.
2. Still hate Bell Canada, and promise that a wonderful new Bell-bashing column will soon appear.
3. The boob tube now lives in my computer. I'm not kidding. I can't believe the number of shows that I can watch via the CBC and CTV (Canadian TV network) websites. And because I have addictive tendencies and no self-control, I'm still watching way more TV than I should, even without a TV.
4. The perfect job? I did get a response, but yeah, I was too far away and too car-less. Ah well, I guess that made it a not-so perfect job.
5. At some point, I WILL be adding links to financial books and other worthwhile sites. And I'll try to make sure that more orange numbers appear in that nifty little calendar. :)

you know you've been unemployed too long when...

Yep, that little book I wrote, and mentioned two posts ago, is now part of this blog. Click on Humour Book up in the navigation bar (top right), or over at the left under More Info. Sorry I've been absent. Hope to catch up soon!

moneymoon: marriage and money

After the Honeymoon comes the "Moneymoon".

This phrase was part of an ad I saw for a marriage and money seminar held by a local church last month. I didn't go, in part because I'm marriage-phobic, LOL, and because I hope I already have the common-sense approach to money matters that they promised. But I wish I had as I think it would have been interesting, and I'm curious as to what they advocated.

I'm assuming of course that they talked about the need for planning, budgeting, saving, avoiding or reducing debt, and how to distinguish between needs and wants. They probably covered the importance of talking about money (which can sometimes be even more awkward than talking about sex), and the difficulty that arises when one party is more of a "saver" and the other more of a "spender". Money is one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships, and no wonder as it's often much more than just about money itself.

I'm hoping though that what they particularly stressed is the importance of women having access to their own account even if married. While I imagine that few contemporary relationships are still based on the sexist model of men being in charge of the finances, I'm sure that they still exist, and that's pretty scary. All women in any type of relationship need to have access to their own credit card, personal and joint accounts, bills, and knowledge of all financial and legal issues that pertain to the couple. Anything else is an invitation to a control and power imbalance, and potential financial abuse.

the perfect job

I'm thinking about getting a job as a bus driver. The idea of getting paid for telling people where to get off really appeals to me. --MAXINE

Snort. But seriously, I saw an ad in the local paper the other day for a job that excited me. I know, the words job and excited in the same sentence is a rarity for me, but as they say, wonders never cease!

The ad in question reads like this, Writer needs part-time assistant. Typing, internet, research, some marketing. Please fax one page to....

Now the location specified is not close to me, and there's no bus going to that area so technically the job isn't perfect, but to see something like this advertised gave me hope. And I'm going to reply anyway because what do I have to lose? The neat thing too is that I figured out pretty quickly exactly who this writer is (how? by being a smart cookie and doing some research), and I'm pleased to report that this guy is a humour writer! So those who know me well enough will realize why this job is perfect on so many levels. I'm also aware that the chances of getting this job are lessened by the fact that he'll prefer someone with transportation (needing someone to type means he may write in longhand), but at this point I don't even care because the ad made me realize that other writers need assistants too, and that there are possibilities for doing almost all of the tasks he mentioned online.

The other direct benefit is that I looked over some of my own previous writing material last night, and have decided that my short humour book You Know You've Been Unemployed Too Long When... is still darn funny even though written a number of years ago, so I'm going to be posting it on a separate page right on this blog! I mean, why not? Even though never published, it should still be enjoyed and exist right here in my own space.

boob tube revisited

Remember how I said I was going to leave the boob tube behind? Well, I did, and at about the right time as a certain pop star had just died and I figured that if he got anywhere near the amount of media attention Anna Nicole Smith did (and I'm assuming he got even more), then I wouldn't be turning the TV on even if I did still have one. And I did what I said I would do (read, radio, and blog a bit more consistently), and didn't miss the TV at all. Okay, it helped that I could still watch Coronation Street online, but basically, I was out of the TV-loop and felt just fine. But.

But tomorrow night is the season premiere of House and I LOVE Hugh Laurie! In fact, all the season premieres seem to be happening this week or next (like Amazing Race!), and all of a sudden yesterday, I felt a bit bereft. So like a person possessed I spent hours on the Internet trying to see what I could catch online. And some shows, like Fringe, I do have access to, but American channels like Fox won't stream videos if you don't live in the United States. That leaves certain sites where you can download if you pay, or having to sift through sites that make you register, view ads, or take chances with possible viruses and spyware. And my reasons for not having a TV still stand: don't want to pay for cable, don't have room, and don't have the discipline to not use it as a tool of distraction. So what was I doing perusing Craigslist and Kijiji for 13" TV's? Snort. But no, I've decided to try to continue my TV-fast, although I can't ABSOLUTELY guarantee I won't be running over to someone else's house to watch House. :)

money quirk #1

Like many of you (well, at least SOME of you), I have my fair share of quirks. And because I'm fascinated with everything money (except perhaps for earning it -- that is more of a duty than a fascination, snort), my quirks also extend to the financial realm, so I thought that over time I'd share a few.

One of my money quirks is that I like my bills crispy. As in smooth, flat, new, without any wrinkles or creases. (Yes, I have seriously considered ironing, but luckily, I don't have an iron.) Trouble is, you rarely get those deliciously pristine bills, and even when you do, it's not as if you keep them for long. And why it makes a difference to me I'm not even sure, but I'm always disappointed when crumpled, crinkly bills are handed over. Still, it's not like I can ask, "Um, can I have mine crisp please?" when dealing with a clerk. Or can I? ;)

all's well with Bell

Remember my rant about this nationally reviled* yet heavily relied upon institution? Well, Bell Canada (claiming to be Canada's largest telephone and telecommunications company), came through and gave me credit for the fifteen long-distance phone calls I DIDN'T make but got charged for on my last bill, so I'll give them a wee break (especially since there were no unauthorized calls this time), and for now, the benefit of the doubt. But it wasn't so much the money as the principle of the thing (why should I have to pay for calls I didn't make?), and the fear that if I didn't speak up now, I would have no further recourse if it happened again.

* (just Google the words Bell and hate or sucks)